Pentax SMC-F 70-210mm f/4-5.6 user reviews

This is a very good tele zoom, You can find it used for around 100 Euro (payed 90 for mine)which is fantastic value for money. I use it for wildlife/street/event shooting. It has very nice color and rendering for a zoom and it's pretty sharp. Also focuses pretty fast on the K20D (although it's quite noisy when it starts to hunt). I got some really nice shot from this lens.

Sharp lens throughout the zoom range even in the corners and at wide open. I Had it for my PZ-1p (bought new) and was the only lens I kept when switching to digital. Still outperforms many of the new digital lenses I own.

Very little CA even when images are cropped. Most images are close to a prime (most can't tell the difference). Good flare control for a zoom. IMHO it's a better lens than the new DA 50-200 (which is very good)

Only drawback is it is a little heavy but that partly due to a lot of metal and glass inside the lens. Solid build. I bought a busted one at a flea market ($5.00) hoping to repair it but wound up not being worth it(water damage). So I've seen the inside and it is very well constructed and the only plastic is the outer cover.

This ia a very good lense. My first lense ever (first love never dies, hehehehehe).

Very crisp. Works well with converters too. The micro focus is superb.

Drawback is it is quite heavy.

One of the finest zooms that I've had the opportunity to use. Sharp at all aperatures and incredibly sharp shut down. Very little CA and distortion. Little wonder why this lens is rated at 3.4. One complaint: While compact, it does have much internal glass that makes it a bit heavy.

I purchased my copy from Ebay for around 120 Euros in like-new condition. This was my first zoom lens for my DS and its performance was quite good, giving sharp images through out its zoom range, even wide. It's also fairly easy to manual focus for those fast moving animal shots.

The only drawback of this zoom is its weight, especially in comparison with the new DA50-200.

All in all, a good lens for the money.

This is a good lens. It is sharp thru the entire range, even wide open. Colors and contrast are nice but not prime quality. Rotating front element. It can be bought second hand for around EUR100 ($120) which is good value.

Alternative is the DA 50-200 f/4-5.6. No rotating front element, more range at the bottom, smaller and lighter. Supposed te be just as good or better. About EUR200/ $200 new. Only for DSLR!